Conceived in response to a design competition brief, Cera Stribley’s vision for a new and improved Brooke’s Jetty draws inspiration from the history of place, forming a looping bridge that connects the existing boardwalk and Luna Park.

Situated along Melbourne’s iconic St Kilda Beach, near Luna Park and the Palais Theatre, Brooke’s Jetty was originally a 1.2-metre-wide slender timber structure at the end of a concrete storm water drain. The jetty was popular and culturally significant to local residents.

The timber jetty was demolished by Parks Victoria in 2015, leaving only the concrete drain remaining. Initiated by Port Phillip City Council, the competition brief called for design responses that would breathe new life into the once-iconic Brooke’s Jetty, reinvigorating the spirit of St Kilda and offering highly-considered beachfront amenity for the public to enjoy.

Cera Stribley’s design response drew inspiration from the locale’s Aboriginal history. St Kilda was known as Euro-Yroke ‘the grinding stone place’ by the First Nations People, describing the red brown sandstone found along the picturesque beach. The stone was used to sharpen the edges of stone axes, with handles formed by looping timber bound in rope.

The proposal draws on this history of place, forming a looping bridge that connects the existing boardwalk and Luna Park. Within this lies pools of varying depth that cater to a range of water based activities, reinvigorating the beach and surrounding public realm.